Norman, Oklahoma USA

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Mike has 117 articles published.

Soonerguys Editor

Sooners find a way to win — again

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Imagine a drunken sailor behind the wheel of a beat-up pick up held together with bailing wire — and then watch him win the Daytona 500.

I don’t know what else to say about this Oklahoma Sooners football team, the team that came from behind and defeated LSU tonight 17-14 to punch its ticket to the College Football Playoffs.

It was a crazy ending to an improbable 10-win regular season.

The Sooners were behind 13-10 with only 4:13 left in the game, when QB John Mateer found Isaiah Sategna wide open downfield — as if the LSU secondary had a shock of dementia after an unexpected fireworks show from OU Ruf/Neks at the close of the third quarter and forgot to shadow the Sooners’ best player — and heaved an arching pass his way.

Sategna caught it, then scampered untouched to the end zone to give Oklahoma a 17-14 lead in the waning minutes of the game.

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Stadium renovation plan hurts fans, risks game day experience

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Today the OU administration announced plans to spend nearly a half billion dollars, tear down the historic west side of Memorial Stadium and reduce seating to one of the smallest in the SEC, displacing 7,000 season ticket holders.

With excitement for the football program at its height in several years — Saturday’s crucial game against Missouri is a must win to maintain a shot at a playoff berth — the timing of this announcement is a balloon popper.

The cost will be $450 million. Renovation will be complete in time for the 2029 season.

A close look at the initial conceptual drawings released today shows a redesign of the west side of the stadium that includes large walls to separate the high dollar suite holders from the pauper fans.

I’m wondering how OU President Joe Harroz will react to any smattering of “boos” that will greet him in case he does one of those grip and grin plaque presentations after the details of the plan reveal its disruptive impact on fans that don’t pay $50,000 a year to attend football games.

This plan trades thousands of long-standing football fans who have been loyal to the program, for a few hundred pocket books.

Did the OU administration think this through? Well, the disturbing answer is, yes.

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Sooners win by fingertips in upset of Alabama

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With three seconds left in the 2nd quarter Oklahoma defender Taylor Wein leaped over the Alabama blockers and got his fingertips on the Tide’s attempted 35-yard field goal, deflecting it away.

It would become the first “play of the game” in the Sooners’ 23-21 upset of No. 4 Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

In the suspenseful waning minutes, it was not so sure that would be the story of the game.

Alabama was on a drive to take the lead in the final two minutes. With the Tide’s hopes of securing a spot in the SEC championship game on the line, Alabama converted on a fourth down and one, keeping their drive alive at their 42 yard line. A Kip Lewis sack of ‘Bama QB Ty Simpson put the Tide back to a 3rd and 21 from their 33 yard line.

Simpson completed a 15-yard pass to Isaiah Horton to the Alabama 48. That set up a fourth and six with only a minute left. Simpson’s pass was knocked away by Peyton Bowen’s fingertips and the Sooners won, 23-21.

A key play at 7:52 in the fourth quarter was a third down at the Alabama 38 yard line, when Mateer was flagged for intentional grounding. The penalty took Oklahoma out of field goal range at the 50-yard line and killed a drive that had the potential of putting the game away.

Earlier, near the end of the 3rd quarter, the Sooners grabbed the opportunity to take the lead, recovering a Ty Simpson fumble forced by the pass rush of Taylor Wein. A pass interference call against Alabama put the Sooners at the ‘Bama 10 yard line.

Oklahoma then ran the ball three times to reach the six. Tate Sandell then kicked a 24-yard field goal to take the lead 23-21.

In the opening drive of the second half, a key third down 22-yard toss by Mateer to Isaiah Sategna kept the drive alive, setting up a 52-yard field goal by Tate “Short Pants” Sandell which gave the Sooners a 20-14 lead over Alabama early in the 3rd quarter.

But Alabama responded on the next drive, juiced by a 26-yard pass from Ty Simpson to Isaiah Horton to the Oklahoma one yard line. A direct-snap one yard run by Daniel Hill for a touchdown and the extra point gave Alabama their first lead of the game, at 21-20. with 7:27 left in the 3rd quarter.

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